ÔÇ£I sold my soul to reality TVÔÇÖ is the chilling line left in the Twitter biography of the late Sophie Gradon, one of the stars of the second series of Love Island. Gradon committed suicide in her family home aged thirty-two, days after discussing the bullying and pressures regarding her looks and other personal features she faced as a consequence of being on Love Island. … Continue reading The Problem with Love Island
Kiana Stevens on Moonrise Kingdom In Moonrise Kingdom, the Oscar-winning director Wes Anderson uses his unmistakably recognisable heartfelt and quirky style to capture the beautiful backdrop of Rhode Island. It is the amalgamation of these two that manage to capture a quaint and comfortingly nostalgic summer romance. Set in 1965 in the coastal town of New Penzance in New England, eccentric and unpopular teenagers Sam … Continue reading Five Films That Get Summer Romance Right
By Hannah Stait Starting Uni can be worrying (and by that I mean absolutely bloody terrifying) to most, especially if you suffer with anxiety as I do. Whether youÔÇÖre about to begin your first year, second or even final year of your degree – donÔÇÖt fear – because I have been through it too and I have tips to make it easier for you. … Continue reading I’m Not Ready to be Ready! Preparing for University Life
By Katie Comer Growing up I have watched my mum create, bake and decorate the most incredible desserts for our family and friends. She is the unsung hero of dessert making within family and without a shadow of a doubt, as many of her friends and family would tell you, she is the connoisseur of pavlovas. Although originating from New Zealand, this summer berry pavlova … Continue reading Berry Pavlova – Summer Bakes
By Kiana Stevens I am Malala (2013) – Malala Yousafzai This summer the first book I attempt to devour, before returning to my September reading list, was I am Malala. Published in 2013, when the author was only 16 years old, this novel is an autobiography of the GirlsÔÇÖ Education Advocate and youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate; Malala Yousafzai. In 265 pages Malala answers the … Continue reading Your Favourite Poolside Reads – I am Malala
By┬áIsabel Cosford With England reaching the semi-finals for the first time in twenty-eight years, itÔÇÖs no wonder that there has been uproar on social media. Our ÔÇÿsuccessÔÇÖ has united the country with one single hashtag: #ITSCOMINGHOME. So, we might not have made it to the World Cup final but, we certainly have triumphed in winning the nation over through the use of memes. Hundreds of … Continue reading #ITSNOTCOMINGHOME, The Influence Of Meme Culture Surrounding The 2018 Fifa World Cup
By Harry Dixon The sun has hung in the sky for a long while now and its intensity hasnÔÇÖt waned for the better part of a month. We have internalised the external heat and become closer to the Spaniards, idealistically hoping that the grey clouds will no longer reign in our skies. But, unfortunately these skies will eventually fill with rain again. This all too … Continue reading A Farewell to Sun: Rain, Rain, itÔÇÖs nice to see you again
By Samantha Harford The Couple Next Door (2017) – Shari Lapena What would you do if your babysitter cancelled last minute? Well, Anne and her husband, decide to leave their six month old baby asleep in her crib whilst they dine with their next door neighbours. With half-hourly check-ups and a baby monitor switched on nearby, what could possibly go wrong? ItÔÇÖs only for a … Continue reading Your Favourite Poolside Reads – The Couple Next Door
By Samantha Harford The Idiot (2018) ÔÇô Elif Batuman BatumanÔÇÖs intimacy with language will make you fall in love with words all over again. Her heroine Selin Karada─ƒ is a Harvard undergraduate in 1995, a new era of communication and a perfect time period for a coming of age novel. The first line immediately introduces you to BatumanÔÇÖs central theme of the importance of communication … Continue reading Book Review: The Idiot
By┬áNidhi Pattni Contouring, for those who have been living under a rock, or have been doing more important things with their lives (in which case, good for you!); is a make-up technique where you dip a brush into a powder, cream or liquid, a few shades darker than your skin tone and deepen the natural edges or ÔÇÿcontoursÔÇÖ on your face. This trend began as … Continue reading Has contouring gone too far?
by Luisa De la Concha Montes ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå Set up with the intention of offering a smaller festival with a similar layout to Glastonbury and Reading, Truck Festival has been running since 1998 at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire. Each passing year the festival has been building up its name by offering a wide variety of activities and music acts throughout the weekend. This year, the lineup included … Continue reading Review | Truck Festival, Oxfordshire
By Nadine Pinnock Zero-waste is an environmentally conscious way of living thatÔÇÖs becoming increasingly popular, to combat the over production of plastic that continues to pollute our planet and our oceans. A zero-waste shop typically offers an easy solution to the excessive plastic packaging found in supermarkets, by selling bulk wholefoods by weight, so you can bring your own containers to reuse again and again. … Continue reading Zero-waste Comes to Cardiff: A Chat With Ripple Founder Sophie Rae
By Mike O’Brien |┬á I recall having a conversation about music with a friend of mine last Summer. ÔÇÿWhat do you think about people who say music saved them?ÔÇÖ she asked, the subtext rich with doubt and bemusement. Ultimately, as with any passion or pursuit, some enjoy more intimate relationships with music than others. But it has certainly saved me. Having bounced from hospital to … Continue reading Music is your odyssey and mine.
By Mike O’Brien |┬áÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔ£░Ô£░ Disclaimer: Fire Hose Games provided a free copy of┬á20XX┬áto Quench for review purposes. We all have vices. I, for instance, canÔÇÖt say no to sambuca. In the AAA games industry, no one can seem to put down the bottle labelled ÔÇÿBattle RoyaleÔÇÖ. And, just like the rest of us, indie games have picked their poison: roguelikes. With games like Enter the … Continue reading REVIEW: 20XX
ÔÿåÔÿåÔÿåÔÿåÔÿå – A must see! By Hannah Stait This Wednesday I was ecstatic to be among many going to see Mischief Movie Night at CardiffÔÇÖs New Theatre. The atmosphere was incredible as we got together for a night of improvised comedy genius! Starring the original cast of ÔÇÿThe Play that Goes WrongÔÇÖ and their BBC counterparts ÔÇÿPeter Pan Goes WrongÔÇÖ and ÔÇÿA Christmas Carol Goes … Continue reading Mischief Movie Night | Theatre Review
Poppy Jennings ItÔÇÖs no secret that the publishing industry is seriously lacking in BAME voices (Black and Minority Ethnicities). And as much as publishers are striving to be more inclusive through writing schemes and internships specifically for black and ethnic minorities, this venture for inclusivity is still met by some with aversion. A few weeks ago, Lionel Shriver slammed Penguin Random House about their … Continue reading The Dominance of White Publishing: In Response to Lionel Shriver
by Maisie Marston ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿåÔÿå This year Citadel Festival took place in LondonÔÇÖs Gunnersbury Park, already christened by the attendees of Lovebox from the previous two days. In the 12 hour turn around all that changed were the signs, acts, and consequently, the demographic. IÔÇÖd like to think that despite the fact it was essentially Lovebox (but with more hipster Dads), it had some personality. Unlike … Continue reading Review | Citadel Festival, London
By Hannah Stait ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà This Thursday people flocked to St. DavidÔÇÖs Hall in Cardiff to spend time with the lovable and hilarious Chris Ramsey at his ÔÇÿJust Happy to Get out of the HouseÔÇÖ tour as he jokes about the world he lives in and the things that makes him stop and think. Before he could give us all the giggles, Ramsey opened up the … Continue reading Review | Chris Ramsey – Just Happy to Get out of the House
By Max Modell ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿà The Flop, Stand up for a show about not being able to get it up! Absurdist comedies can often go too far and be too ridiculous, as a consequence they are often left convoluted and without laughter. While often presented in broad strokes any performer will tell you it is these absurdist comedies which are the hardest to execute. Not … Continue reading Review | The Flop
By Maddy Steele Instagram: @maddysteele @quenchfashion In October 2017, this sartorial giant announced their pledge to become fur-free. GucciÔÇÖs CEO Marco Bizzarri told Vogue at the London College of Fashion that, ÔÇ£technology is now available that means that you donÔÇÖt need to use fur. The alternatives are luxurious. There is just no need.ÔÇØ (https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/gucci-announces-it-is-going-fur-free). By removing fur from all of their collections, Gucci will help … Continue reading Fur Free Gucci
